b. Car Seats

Although you can purchase hundreds of items for your baby, it is important to know that only a few are mandatory. The car seat is one of these items.

The law requires that babies always ride in a car seat even on the first trip home from the hospital. As your child grows, he or she will need a new seat, followed by a booster seat. Booster seats are required by law, for children under the age of eight, weighing between 18kg and 36kg and are less than 145cm tall. Once a child exceeds any one of the above criteria they may be ready to use a seat belt alone. Check to make sure that when your child is sitting in the seat that the shoulder strap sits across the chest and shoulder bone and the lap belt sits across the hip bones and not across the stomach.

Even if you don't own a car, you will need a car seat for your baby when you take a taxi or travel with a friend. A car seat can also be used as a seat in the home.